Elite BJJ Competitor and MMA Coach Sets Foundation on Greatmats

By Brett Hart

In the world of Brazilan Jiu Jitsu, there aren’t many who’ve accomplished more than Rodrigo ”Comprido” Medeiros. A seven-time world champion and two-time world absolute black-belt champion, Comprido set two records in his 1999 IBJJF Absolute Black Belt World Championship final against then 3-time defending World Champion Roberto ”Roleta” Magalhaes.

Comprido shocked the BJJ world by not only submitting Roleta, but doing it in just 18 seconds, marking the first ever submission at absolute black belt, and the 18-second fight is still the fastest submission in a black belt world championship final.

Both fighters went on to claim their fourth world titles the following year – Roleta in his weight class and Comprido in absolute.

Comprido’s dominance spilled over from the IBJJF to the CBJJO, where he claimed three more world titles over the next six years.

In 2006, Comprido, who also has background in judo, taekwondo and kickboxing, began training UFC fighters. Among those fighters was WWE Champion Brock Lesnar, who was looking to turn mixed martial arts into his third professional sport (football being the other).

Greatmats

After Comprido guided Lesnar to a UFC Heavyweight title, Lesnar convinced Comprido to open his own academy, and in 2011, Comprido BJJ was born.

At that time Comprido discovered Greatmats Grappling MMA Mats and fell in love with their firmness, impact absorption and no-burn tatami surface.

Six years later, Comprido is still using Greatmats at his Academy, not just for flooring but for wall padding as well.

”One thing I like is that the mats are very firm,” Comprido said of his interlocking 1 5/8 inch thick Greatmats Grappling MMA mats. ”It doesn’t matter if I’m close to the seam or in the center of the mat. My foot doesn’t sink.”

That safety factor has been critical for his continued use of Greatmats Martial Arts Flooring.

”I’m in the business of teaching jiu jitsu,” he said. ”I’m not in the business to hurt people. If your foot sinks into the mat, that’s not good. Your foot will twist. I don’t want to have to worry if my student is going to get hurt on the mats.”

”It’s very important for the mats to be firm and make you stable where you can shoot any time you want to go. You can trust that your leg’s going to be in the right position – that your foot is going to be in the right position.”

”On top of that, the cushion is nice,” he added. ”You don’t get hurt when you do takedowns, but on the other hand, your foot doesn’t get stuck in there.”

The modular nature of the mats is also helpful from a design perspective, Comprido said, noting that you can make fight areas or rings in your academy that are highly visible.

Continued Prominence

Comprido, who recently promoted Lesnar to his blue belt in BJJ, was also honored in is own right, being named No. 6 on the list of top 10 Ultra Heavyweight BJJ Fighters of All Time compiled by BJJ Heroes.

More than 20 years after winning his first world championship, Comprido still competes – in the Masters Division, and in March 2017, he was crowned the 2017 IBJJ PanAm Champion after defeating his good friend Viktor Doria who currently ranks No. 6 among male Master 2 black belts in the IBJJF rankings.

”I still fight because I like it,” Comprido said. ”I have nothing else to prove. Now my goal is helping other people to achieve their dreams.”

Kansas City BJJ wins Adult No Gi Division

Gracie Barra St. Louis had a solid Overall Team victory at the 2017 American Grappling Federation’s Kansas City BJJ Championships. The tournament, sponsored by Greatmats, was held at the KCI Expo Center on August 12. Gracie Barra St. Louis had 67 more points than the second place finisher. They claimed three out of four divisional titles.

Gracie Barra took the Adult Gi division narrowly edging out Kansas City BJJ by just one point. Glory MMA claimed third place – 40 points behind Gracie Barra.

Brazil Academy put up the biggest fight against the divisional champions, Gracie Barra, in the kids divisions. Ultimately, Gracie Barra won the Kids Gi by 11 points and the Kids No Gi by 15 points. Glory MMA claimed third place in both divisions.

Kansas City BJJ was the only other team to claim a divisional championship. They had 20 points over Gracie Barra in the Adults No Gi Division. Valor Martial Arts claimed third place.

BJJ black belt turns from payback to paying it forward

By Brett Hart

A humbling street fight experience spurred a ”tough guy” from New York to join an underground jiu jitsu club, and eventually turn that into a career helping others.

Former United States Air Force staff sergeant Alberto Da Silva recalls first being exposed to the martial arts when his parents ”got tired of beating my butt and getting no response. So they paid someone else to do it.”

However, he had his eyes opened to the sport jiu jitsu in high school when a kid named Andre used it to knock him back a peg in high school.

”I used to think I was tough,” Da Silva said. ”He had just moved to New York from Brazil and was a yellow belt in jiu jitsu. … Sometime later we became friends.”

The duo, who ended up wrestling together for Long Island City High School in New York, would practice garage jiu-jitsu together throughout high school.

After high school, Da Silva discovered a new fitness gym in Astoria Queens, and while working out there in 1999, he found a hidden room in the basement where a group of guys were training jiu jitsu under the instruction of Marcello Mello.

”It was there, that I earned my first real beating,” Da Silva said. ”I’ve been hooked to the science ever since.”

Now a 34-year-old Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under professor Luiz Sergio ”Marra” Corra, Da Silva owns Marra Senki Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, an academy in Panama City, Florida, which he runs with the help of his wife, Pamela. His daughter even trains with them almost every day.

Reaching the rank of black belt wasn’t easy for Da Silva.

”It’s been a long, rocky road,” he said. ”I’ve made plenty of mistakes. I’ve quit a few times.”

It was during those breaks that he joined the military, traveled and went to school.

”I’ve learned a lot and have many skills from the Air Force, but I’m happy to say my profession is helping others,” Da Silva said. ”I try to visit our headquarters in San Antonio, Marra Senki Jiu-Jitsu, at least once or twice a year to train with Professor Marra.”

In the meantime, he actively trains with Professor Filipe ”Zicro” Neto in Tallahassee, Florida.

The evolution of the sport is what really keeps Da Silva’s attention.

”It seems like it’s growing in multiple directions at the same time,” he said. ”Techniques are constantly changing and becoming more efficient. New methods and ideas are constantly on the rise. I think that’s all extremely exciting. It’s like a student of mine said, ‘Jiu-Jitsu is like standing at the beach, looking to the ocean.’ To me it means that no matter what, there will always be room to learn more.”

Da Silva’s students recently drove 5 hours to compete at the Greatmats-sponsored American Grappling Federation Jacksonville BJJ Championships at the Prime Osborn Convention Center in Jacksonville, Florida, and brought home a third-place overall finish. His traveling team performed particularly well in the Kids No Gi Division where it placed second.

Da Silva most enjoys attending AGF tournament because of the crew.

”They’re professionals,” he said. ”You can tell that that enjoy what they do. They take the time to know the people around them. It’s like they have this southern hospitality to them. … AGF is the main organization our school in Panama City follows for competition.”

While his journey into jiu jitsu started with the desire to beat up his childhood nemesis, Da Silva is now motivated by peace.

”Jiu-Jitsu is my peace in this world,” he said. ”Even on the worst of days, I can always find peace in the struggle of a roll.”

Georgia Instructor leads team to AGF Columbus Championship

By Brett Hart

Joshua Bowlin, 31, began his martial arts career looking to fight MMA. He trained in wrestling, boxing and Muay Thai, but it was is jiu jitsu training that really grabbed his attention.

”Getting punched in the head gets old over time,” Bowlin jokes. ”BJJ to me is a huge outlet for stress, self expression and creativity. I practice it because it challenges my mind and body on a day-to-day basis.”

His jiu jitsu training began in a little self defense gym where he learned under the instruction of army ranger and Gracie Barra black belt, Pedro Lacerda. After Lacerda passed away due to a brain aneurysm at the age of 30 (in 2010), Bowlin went on to earn his black belt under Professor Fabio Costa of Gracie Barra Georgia and became owner and head instructor at Gracie Barra Columbus.

Bowlin says his favorite part about BJJ is the ”endless supply of knowledge. There’s always something to improve.”

”The grind motivates me,” he added. ”The day-to-day victories; whether it’s my own victories or my students’ victories. When a technique finally clicks, and there’s that little sparkle in their eyes, along with the ‘AHA!’ moment. (It’s) very gratifying.”

One of the competitive highlights for the MMA convert was defeating Samir Chantre in the finals of the Open Weight Adult Black Belt No Gi Division title at the 2016 Atlanta Open.

”I firmly believe if you’re not challenging yourself and trying to be the best person you can be, you become stagnant and lose purpose of what’s important in life,” Bowlin said. ”Competition is the fastest way to find holes in our game. Being out there, feeling the adrenaline, and the pressure really imprints the memory of how the match transpires. So when you get back to the gym, you know exactly what you did wrong and what you have to work on.”

At the recent Greatmats-sponsored American Grappling Federation Columbus BJJ Championships on May 20, 2017, Bowlin’s Gracie Barra Columbus team claimed a dominant overall team victory, along with divisional titles in the Kids No Gi, Kids Gi and Adult Gi Divisions.

”Watching the kids apply everything they’ve been taught – the sportsmanship and discipline each one of them displayed was incredible,” Bowlin said. ”It made me very proud. Also watching each one of our adults place was awesome. Those guys and girls train so hard and put everything they have into every session. It was awesome to see the hard work pay off.”

Bowlin is impressed by the professionalism and organization at American Grappling Federation events.

”The refs are great with the kids and know what they’re doing… super patient,” Bowlin said. ”I haven’t had a bad experience with them yet. We will always support AGF, especially when they visit Columbus, Georgia.”

20-year-old Blue Blue Belt Absorbing All That is Jiu Jitsu

He says the combination of the competitive side, self defense and brotherhood/sisterhood of the sport make it very rewarding to him.

”I have met amazing people through jiu jitsu and friendships that will last a lifetime,” Conway said. ”My dad got me started in jiu jitsu when I was around 10. When he took me to my first class, I was hooked.”

While still young in the art, the blue belt now runs Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Harrison, Arkansas, with the help of owner David Phelps and professor Luis Rubalcava.

He strives daily to perfect his craft, whether teaching, training or learning how to run a school, and he views his biggest accomplishment thus far being staying active as a competitor while teaching kids and seeing them win tournaments.

Conway, who also has background in judo and golden gloves boxing says jiu jitsu has taught him confidence, discipline and meditation – all things he plans to pass along to his students.

”After all, they are the future of jiu jitsu,” he said.

When not performing his duties at Mixed Martial Arts Academy, he trains at Professor Rubalcava’s school in Springdale, Arkansas.

”God, family and everybody under the Rubalcava Jiu Jitsu affiliation motivate me in life and in jiu jitsu,” Conway said, noting that his father and little sister also train in jiu jitsu. ”You know that saying. A family that trains together stays together.”

Competing in the American Grappling Federation
He recently competed in the Greatmats-sponsored American Grappling Federation’s Springfield BJJ Championships at Drury College in Springfield, Missouri, on April 29, despite coming off an injury and moving up two weight classes. While he admits, he could have done better, Conway kept his head up saying, ”No excuses. There will be another one.”

Conway enjoys the AGF tournaments, saying they are some of the best run tournaments around.

”They are always on time,” he said. ”The staff is friendly, and there is high level jiu jitsu at every tournament.”

”You are going to have your great days in jiu jitsu and your bad days,” Conway added. ”The jiu jitsu journey is a roller coaster, mentally and physically. We have all had our days, but at the end of the day your jiu jitsu journey is your journey not any one else’s, so keep the journey going and keep rolling! It will be worth it in the end.”

Gracie Barra edges GD Jiu Jitsu in Phoenix

Gracie Barra had tough competition at the 2017 American Grappling Federation’s Phoenix BJJ Championships. The tournament was held on July 29 at the Desert Vista High School in Phoenix, Arizona. More than 50 teams competed in the tournament.

The powerhouse Brazilian Jiu Jitsu school, Gracie Barra, claimed the overall team title with 316 points, edging out GD Jiu Jitsu by 23 points. CTA finished in third place with 252
GD Jiu Jitsu claimed first place in both of the kids divisions, winning Gi by 37 points and No Gi by 39 points. CTA took second in the Kids Gi division followed by Atos in third place. One Jiu Jitsu was the runner up in the Kids No Gi, while CTA finished in third.

Rodrigo Vaghi BJJ in distant second place at St. Louis Tournament

At the American Grappling Federations’ St. Louis BJJ Championships, Gracie Barra claimed the overall team title by a landslide. The tournament was held at the St. Charles Convention Center in St. Charles, Missouri on July 15, 2017.

Gracie Barra claimed 732 points which was more than triple the points of second place finisher Rodrigo Vaghi BJJ with 239 points. Illinois BJJ Academy took third place with 185 points. Gracie Barra took all four divisional titles with its largest margin of victory of 172 points in the Adults No Gi division.

”St. Louis continues to grow,” said Tournament Organizer Chris Carlino. ” It was our largest tournament to date in Missouri.”

The closest division was in the Kids No Gi. Gracie Barra claimed the tile by 15 points. Illinois BJJ Academy claimed second while The House MMA Academy took third place.

Illinois BJJ Academy claimed second as well in the Kids Gi division following Gracie Barra by 68 points but ahead of Rodrigo Vaghi BJJ by 57 points.

Rodrigo Vaghi BJJ took second place in the Adults No Gi division edging out Absolute MMA. Rodrigo Vahi earned 121 of it points in the Adults Gi division, even though they finished 118 points behind Gracie Barra. Rubalcava Jiu Jitsu finished in a distant third in Adults Gi division.